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Sunday, April 17, 2011

What a great idea designer Ko Yang has had with this milk carton that changes color telling us how fresh the milk is. The carton begins being white in color, and as the expiry date moves closer, it begins changing color to tell us we should drink the milk before it’s too late.
A brilliant way to help us consume our food without wasting any, something to which other idea-tors have already given some thought: (31999) Expiry date for products that have been opened (2255) Visual warning for expiry of food products

KFC has been a part of our American traditions for many years.. Many people, day in and day out, eat at KFC religiously. Do they really know what they are eating? During a recent study of KFC done at the University of New Hampshire , they found some very upsetting facts. First of all, has anybody noticed that just recently, the company has changed their name? Kentucky Fried Chicken has become KFC. Does anybody know why? We thought the real reason was because of the "FRIED" food issue. IT'S NOT! !The reason why they call it KFC is because they can not use the word chicken anymore. Why? KFC does not use real chickens. They actually use genetically manipulated organisms. These so called "chickens" are kept alive by tubes inserted into their bodies to pump blood and nutrients throughout their structure. They have no beaks, no feathers, and no feet. Their bone structure is dramatically shrunk to get more meat out of them. This is great for KFC.

Because they do not have to pay so much for their production costs.. There is no more plucking of the feathers or the removal of the beaks and feet. The government has told them to change all of their menus so they do not say chicken anywhere. If you look closely you will notice this. Listen to their commercials, I guarantee you will not see or hear the word chicken. I find this matter to be very disturbing.

I hope people will start to realize this and let other people know.. Please forward this message to as many people as you can.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

The 'force field' shielding our solar system from cosmic rays has declined in intensity by 10 to 15 percent over the last six months.

Observations from NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, spacecraft, indicate that the intensity of energetic neutral atoms of hydrogen, ENAs, in the heliosphere is more changeable than previously realized.

"We thought we might detect small changes occurring gradually throughout the sun’s 11-year-long activity cycle, but not over just six months," says David McComas of the Southwest Research Institute, principal investigator for the IBEX mission.

"These observations show that the interaction of the sun with the interstellar medium is far more dynamic and variable than anyone envisioned."

In October 2009, scientists announced that IBEX's first map data revealed an unexpected bright ribbon of ENAs flowing towards the sun from the edge of the solar system.

It's believed they are formed when particles flowing from the sun collide with the interstellar medium, releasing the ENAs, which stream back towards the centre of the solar system. In the process, they deflect the majority of cosmic rays.

But the latest set of measurements show that the intensity of ENAs has fallen sharply, and that a previously-detected 'hot-spot' has diminished and spread out along the ribbon.

"These variations are taking place on remarkably short timescales," says McComas.

He says the drop-off in intensity between the two all-sky maps perhaps makes sense, because the Sun is only now emerging from an unusually long period of very low activity and a correspondingly weak solar wind.

If you are a hardcore Facebook user that spends hours on Facebook, you might want to check out the keyboard shortcuts. It helps you to navigate around Facebook with ease and saves you time in the process.

In February this year, Chinese National Geographic magazine published a series of exquisite pictures about Shicheng City (literally, Lion City), and since then, the public's strong interest in the city has been aroused again.

The city of 1,339 years of age, situated in east China's Zhejiang Province, has been submerged under Qiandao Lake since 1959 for the construction of the Xin'an River Hydropower Station.

International archeologists vividly named the city submerged in water "time capsule." Since it is shielded from the erosion by wind, rain and sun, a city submerged in water comparatively maintains a stable condition, thus making the city a virtual time vessel. Seen from the pictures of Shicheng City, stairs in ancient houses, walls and memorial arches remain the same as they were thousands of years ago.

Shicheng City was named after the Wu Shi Mountain (literally, Five Lion Mountain) in the northern part of Sui'an County, Zhejiang. It was once the center of politics, economics and culture of Sui'an County in that area.

As written in the "History of Sui'an County," there are all together 265 arches submerged under Qiandao Lake, among which the Jie Xiao Memorial Arch's fine carvings remain well-preserved.

According to the restored map of Shicheng, there were five city gates in all directions. You can find one city gate tower on each city gate and all together there are five towers. Besides, six streets in Shicheng City were used to connect every corner of the city as a whole. The typical roads in Shicheng City were stone roads, tidily paved by flagstone and pebbles.

North Sentinel Island lies some 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Smith Island, in the Bay of Bengal. It is about 28 square miles (72 square kilometers) and is completely forested, with the exception of the thin strips of beach that encircle most of it. It is otherwise unremarkable, except that it is populated by one of the few remaining “uncontacted peoples” in the world. The Sentinelese are highly xenophobic and resist virtually all attempts at contact, frequently firing arrows at boats and helicopters that come too close to the island (sometimes killing the “intruders). Between their active isolationism and the difficulty of observing the island from the air, almost nothing is known of the Sentinelese — their language, culture, and even an accurate estimation of their numbers are all unknown. North Sentinel Island is technically part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory, but in practice, the local government has said that they intend to leave the island to its inhabitants, making it de facto autonomous.

Better known by the name of its main island, Tahiti, French Polynesia is a mesmerizing wonderland of reef-fringed islands and translucent aqua lagoons. Shamelessly chic and seductive, it's the kind of place where the rich and famous come to play and hedonistic honeymoon fantasies are realized. The epitome of the Pacific dream, this is one Garden of Eden so damn beautiful it's hard to believe it really exists.

French Polynesia is more than just some souped up, sexy honeymoon destination, however. Those seeking something stronger than a pina colada in the sand will find salvation never more than a boat ride away. Adventures are plentiful in these archipelagos scattered over an area as big as Europe. Take an old school pirate romp through the mysterious and danger-tinged Tuamotu Islands, where the breathtaking turquoise sea is home not only to flawless black pearls, but also hundreds of toothy sharks. Travel to the ends of the earth, destination Austral Islands, a place so remote centuries slide by without anyone batting an eye. Check out the Gambier Archipelago: an armchair destination for most, it's also a must for wannabe National Geographic explorers. Those searching for a little less swashbuckling and a lot more room service will delight in Bora Bora's luxurious pampering and lush good looks; in Maupiti's picture-perfect views and old-fashioned French hospitality.

The truth is, whether you've secretly fantasised about splitting coconuts with your bare hands in a Rambo meets Robinson Crusoe scenario or daydreamed about playing heroine in a mushy Hollywood movie, French Polynesia tempts you to dream your wildest of fantasies right into punch-drunk reality.

French Polynesia comprises five main island groups - the Society Islands, the Tuamotus, the Marquesas, the Australs and the Gambier Archipelago. Tahiti is in the Society Islands.

The Grand Canal is a canal in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. Public transport is provided by water buses (Italian: vaporetti) and private water taxis, and many tourists explore the canal by gondola.

At one end the canal leads into the lagoon near Santa Lucia railway station and the other end leads into Saint Mark Basin: in between it makes a large S-shape through the central districts (sestieri) of Venice. It is 3,800 m long, 30–90 m wide, with an average depth of five meters (16.5 ft).

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (English: Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family, Spanish: Basílica y Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia; commonly known as the Sagrada Família, is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.

Though construction of Sagrada Família had commenced in 1882, Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style—combining Gothic and curvilinear, Art Nouveau forms with ambitious structural columns and arches.

Gaudí devoted his last years to the project and at the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Família's construction progressed slowly as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War—only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the mid-point in 2010 with some of the project's greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026—the centennial of Gaudí's death.

The basílica has a long history of dividing the citizens of Barcelona—over the initial possibility it might compete with Barcelona's cathedral, over Gaudí's design itself, over the possibility that work after Gaudí's death disregarded his design,and the recent possibility that an underground tunnel of Spain's high-speed train could disturb its stability.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Chand Baori is a famous stepwell situated in the village Abhaneri near Jaipur in Indian state of Rajasthan.

The Chand Baori, a vast well with flights of steps on three sides, is a 10th century monument situated in Abhaneri. It is a fine example of the architectural excellence prevalent in the past. This impressive step well is as deep as a seven level building. The famous Harshat Mata temple situated opposite to this well shows that there must have been a religious connection with the step-well. The well is 35 m on each side with steps leading down from each side and water can be drawn from any level.

Legends say that ghosts build it in one night and that it has so many steps to make it impossible for someone to retrieve a coin once it's been dropped in the well.